Have you ever heard us say that today’s reading is rich??? Well, today is no exception! 

Elisha prayed that his servant be allowed to see into the spirit realm and God opened the servant’s eyes. The heavenly defenders were already there surrounding them. God allowed the servant to see them. Obviously Elisha already knew they were there.

Heavenly defenders surround us always. It’s just that most people don’t see them except by special permission from God. It’s like listening to the radio. We may be listening to our AM radio but it doesn’t mean that FM signals aren’t there as well. We’re just not tuned in to hearing them. In our heart of hearts we KNOW that there is a spiritual battle raging all around. We just don’t always see it. (“We live by faith, not by sight.”)

Sometimes, however we are allowed to see the heavenly defenders. Just as a four year old child was allowed to see his guardian angel outside the dining room window at his grandparent’s house. 

What great faith displayed by the servant girl in this story of Elisha! God placed her there for a purpose. She was an humble servant of her master. Has God placed you in a position to spread His word? A person doesn’t have to be a certified seminary graduate to speak the word of God. A person just needs to be an humble servant of THE MASTER. 

When Naaman went to the king of Israel with the letter in hand from the king of Aram, the king reacted in a negative way. Elisha then responded with these words. “Have the man come to me and he will know that there is a prophet in Israel.”

Naaman was to be healed so that everyone would know. Then when Elisha told Naaman to wash in the Jordan to be cured of leprosy, Naaman questioned why he needed to go there instead of going to closer waters. Isn’t that just like us today, we don’t want to go to God and do what He says? We want to do something more convenient. We “dig our own cisterns” so to speak instead of going to the “well of living water”.

Gehazi was doing so well until he took that first step on the slippery slope of self-indulgence and deceit. Sin has consequences. The leprosy with which he was afflicted as a consequence of his sin didn’t start out as just a spot as it did with Naaman. His leprosy was full blown, not only for him but for his descendants.

The Aramean army heard the sound of chariots and horses and a great army and they fled. Were they allowed to hear the same thing that Elisha’s servant was allowed to see?

Maybe if we were alert, listening and watching, we might be able to see and hear our heavenly defenders all around us! Why not listen a little closer today???